2. Backstory

The Deity watched the scene play out in front of him with a sad expression.

Watching his favourite mortal die such a painful death was anything but pleasing. Unfortunately, he was not permitted to interfere with the events of those living on Earth. Otherwise, he would've tried to save him.

"Even till the end, you hold a kind heart..."

The Deity had watched young Ronald's life from the moment he was born. To be fair, the Deity watched everyone's life from their moment of birth but Ronald's was one he kept an eye on out of interest.

He was born in the year 2002 to a pair of high school teachers. Sadly, Ronald would only have them for five years before death took hold of them. They passed away in a horrific car crash leaving Ronald to be placed under the care of his maternal uncle.

Ronald was a kind boy by nature. He enjoyed helping others and tended to always look on the positive side of things. That's why it was a terrible shame that such a lovely, kind-hearted child was forced to grow up under a man who abused him on a daily basis.

Every day, little Ronald would be punched or kicked by that horrid man. Ronald was made to do the chores and was constantly showered with insults on a daily basis. Scars marred his once flawless skin and bruises littered his arms and legs. In order to cover them up, his uncle only allowed him to wear long-sleeved clothing items even on the hottest summer day.

At school, a poor parentless boy like him was a prime target for bullying. He shoved into lockers, pushed around in the hallway, and was treated as a punching bag for the rich kids. His injuries almost never healed during the school semester.

Despite all of this, Ronald continued to make the most out of things. Though he was damaged, both mentally and physically, his kind-heartedness and positive outlook on life never disappeared. Yes, he knew that what was happening to him was unfair and downright awful but he also knew that things could've been a lot worse.

Ronald was smart. He knew most things that kids his age wouldn't know until they were much older. He knew how dark the world was and how inhumane people could be. However, he also knew that not everything and not everyone was bad.

His teacher, Miss Nelson, for example, was a lovely lady. She was a teacher that cared for all her students deeply and genuinely loved being a teacher. Miss Nelson had found out about the bullying and quickly put a stop to it as best she could. Of course, he was still picked on occasionally but over the years of school, the bullying had lessened.

She had also noticed how he often came to school without lunch and helped him apply for the meal tickets that were handed out to poor students that allowed them free access to the school's cafeteria. Miss Nelson did everything in her power to make his school life better and more bearable and Ronald was forever grateful to her for that.

As for the home life, that is where he drew the line. It was clear that she suspected that something wasn't right but Ron kept his mouth shut. Rather than being embarrassed, Ron was afraid that his uncle would hurt Miss Nelson if she went poking around - something she would definitely do if her suspicions were confirmed.

His uncle was an irrational and impulsive man that never thought before he acted. Being blinded by rage (or alcohol) was a common occurrence and Ron didn't want Miss Nelson to be hurt in any way because of him.

So he kept his mouth shut.

-

When Ronald turned eighteen, his uncle abandoned him. Or rather, it was more accurate to say that the man ran away.

Ronald was around eight when his uncle first got into gambling. The man developed an addiction to it, as most do, and used whatever money they had in the underground casino. He squandered away his sister's savings that were supposed to be used for Ron's education and gradually built up a large debt owed to the loan shark he borrowed from.

His uncle didn't have a proper job hence his inability to finance the debt. And like the scummy adult he was, he ran away and disappeared into thin air knowing full well that if the loan sharks couldn't find him, they would go to Ronald demanding payment as his only living relative.

From then on, Ron was constantly badgered and pressed by the loan sharks. With their connection to the casino, both being owned by the same person who also had connections to law enforcement, there was no window of escape.

Their threats pressured him into giving in and eventually, he began setting aside a large percentage of his savings and earnings to pay them. The money that he was saving up to go to university quickly withered away until there was only enough left for him to survive.

One time, he failed to make a payment and had his leg broken as a result. Although it had healed, he was left with a permanent limp.

The Deity who had watched the events of his life couldn't understand how Ronald hadn't fallen into darkness.

The Deity had seen humans allow themselves to be consumed by the darkness of their hearts for much less than what Ron has had to go through. Over time, humans had become worse in nature. The human society, despite its technological advancement, actually became more sinful. Humans were now arrogant creatures that only cared about themselves and the individualistic mindset was a prominent one.

It was difficult to find humans that still held good hearts.

That is why Ron was a rarity.

He was someone who lived a life of suffering and yet, he held no resentment to the world. The only resentment he held was towards the person who hurt him the most - his uncle.

Ronald was the Deity's favourite mortal.

And now, his life on Earth had come to an abrupt end.

-

The Deity cradled Ronald's soul in the palm of his hands and whispered to him.

"My precious child, for your sufferings, I grant you this gift. I pray that your next life will be one that you deserve..."

On that day, the Deity broke the laws of the universe and provided a means for Ronald to get a second chance.

A bright light enveloped the soul and it vanished out of the Deity's realm, traveling to a new universe.

In another world, a newborn baby opened its eyes and cried for the first time.

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Word Count: 1123